Accessibility
St. Mary’s is committed to providing equitable care, supports and services to our patients and their families and to creating a barrier-free environment for everyone. Our policies and practices put the person first and we strive to be a place that is inclusive respecting dignity and independence. We are dedicated to meeting the standards outlined in the province’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, 2011 (IASR) requires that "organizations establish, implement, maintain, and document a multi-year accessibility plan, which outlines the organization's strategy to prevent and remove barriers and meet its requirements under this regulation."
Learn more about St. Mary’s plan to meet the requirements of AODA:
St. Mary’s General Hospital is committed to ensuring accessibility to hospital facilities and services for patients and their family members. If you require any of the documents on our website in other formats, please contact our Patient Relations representative at 519-749-6578, ext. 6867.
St. Mary’s General Hospital – 911 Queen’s Blvd., Kitchener
Wheelchairs are located in the hospital’s main lobby. Please do not remove wheelchairs from hospital property.
- Main Entrance
- Emergency Entrance
- Washrooms throughout the hospital (identifiable by the universal wheelchair symbol)
- Cafeteria (Subway) via elevator from main floor
- Pharmacy
- Tim Hortons
- Chapel
St. Mary’s COVID Testing Clinic – 50 Bathurst Dr. Unit #1, Waterloo
- Main entrance (no button at the door, assistance required)
St. Mary’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic – Medical Centre 2, 435 The Boardwalk, Waterloo
- Main entrances (elevators in the building)
Waterloo Region Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centre – 400 Queen St. South, Kitchener
- Main entrance
TTY pay telephones are located in the basement of the hospital, adjacent to Café 911 as well as in the Emergency Department. Portable TTY telephones are also available for inpatients.
If you or your loved one is more comfortable speaking a language other than English, we invite you to bring a trusted friend or family member who speaks your native language and fluent English with you to act as an interpreter. If you do not have someone to help you, let us know and we will contact a translation service to help you at no charge.
If you would like a sign language interpreter, you should mention this at the time of appointment booking. The Canadian Hearing Society will be contacted and will arrange for a qualified interpreter through its Ontario Interpreter Services program to join you during your visit.
St. Mary’s General Hospital has volunteers on duty throughout the day. The volunteers wear blue smocks and will be happy to assist you to your appointment or to visit a loved one. Please note that our volunteers cannot lift or transfer you.
Registered service animals are permitted in St. Mary’s General Hospital. Service animals are used by people with many different kinds of disabilities. Examples of service animals include dogs used by people who are blind, hearing alert animals for people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, and animals trained to alert an individual to an oncoming seizure and lead them to safety (Guide to the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation).
If not readily apparent that the animal is a service animal, such as the vest or harness worn by the animal, St. Mary’s may ask the person to provide documentation from a regulated health professional (e.g. physician, chiropractor, audiologist, and optometrist, etc.) confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability. The letter only needs to verify the need of a service animal for this person and is not required to outline the person’s disability or purpose of the animal.
Service animals can be brought into any area of the hospital where permitted by our Infection Prevention & Control Department. Service animals are not permitted and excluded where sterile procedures occur. For reasons of infection prevention and control, the service animal must remain with their owner at all times. Interaction with others is discouraged.
In the event that a service animal and/or owner enters an isolation room or is unable to comply with infection control measures, Infection Prevention and Control must be consulted regarding any special precautions or requirements. It is the responsibility of the person with the disability to keep the animal in their care and control at all times.
We are committed and focused on accommodating persons with disabilities when using services and/or obtaining goods from St. Mary’s. Although rare, there may be times when disruptions in service occur due to circumstances outside of our control. When disruption for a week or more is planned, advanced notice will be provided at the affected facility and on this page of our website.
We welcome the opportunity to learn how we can better provide assistance to you as we work to create a barrier-free experience and environment. St. Mary’s welcomes and appreciates all feedback and suggestions from our patients and families. If you would like to speak to someone about your or your loved one’s care, we encourage you to first speak with the Program Manager in the area of your concern. For further assistance, contact our Patient Relations Representative at 519-749-6578 ext. 6867 or PatientRelations@smgh.ca. Please do not include personal health information by email.